I have three different off-grid solar situations (RV and 2 homes). I originally started this thread as my mountain property had few options for dish placement. The dish only got signal 150' from the cabin. I was having issues with the receiver resetting and I thought it could be due to a voltage drop from the P21. Shopping for a P29 I was curious if I could just run a buck voltage converter ($10 on Amazon) using the 12v from my system (and it was cheaper than a P29). I had the P21 on hand so I used the housing and coax block with the new converter (which was exactly the same size as the one it replaced). Input comes from a 12v cigarette plug, output was set to get 21v at the dish. Looks factory and works perfect. All my solar systems have pure sine inverters running off trojan or LifePo4 batteries with MPPT controllers. May seem silly to not just plug in a P29 but it gives me more power to run my Keurig lol.
Oh. Here I go. Hopefully asked the right questions in the previous reply.
Electricity can be like your gangster best buddy. It can go out of its way to help you but won't hesitate to make you a "Hey, remember that 'thing' in The Hamptons" thing" You know.
As much as I despise cheap chinese junk. They do have some pretty cool gizmos. I wish we did the same kind of things in the CONUS. We can. We should.
My buddy with the toy hauler. He lives in AZ. But comes up every summer and parks at my other buddy's home.
He's a DOD contractor. And union. So a few months of layoff in the summer is no worries.
A friendly conversation. Could you show me your solar setup? Turned into a cool upgrade. His RV center installed the initial system with a couple of golf cart (labeled solar) batteries. As mentioned they had ok power off grid.
I think we doubled it easily. Less monitoring of the charge controller display in the kitchen in the evenings.
The new one has bluetooth. Or greentooth as they call it in Florida. lol!
I learned during the hurricanes some years ago in FL. Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne. All in a short period one after the other. Had fiber Internet. So running my modem , ONIT, off of 12 vdc was possible. My laptop on the other hand needed 18 vdc. I grabbed the APC's and forklift batteries from work.
Lots to be said there. 5 days w/o juice and a week with no water. Showering in a pair of shorts under the rain gutters.
Neighbor lady asking when I thought we would get water again. She needed to flush the commode. While the main was a geyser by the oak tree that blew over and roots severed it. Pointed to the pool and asked her if she had a mop bucket. You would have thought I was Einstein from the look on her face.
Anyhoo. Wondering if a 12 volt battery would at least charge my laptop. Found out not only would it chatge. But would run. And just fine. Even though the sticker said 18 volts input.
I was making percolator coffee with a sterno can under the electric stove burners.
I think the suckiest thing though were the folks who prepped and stocked up. And bought a generator before the semi's with scalpers lined up to sell you one at way jacked up prices.
All proud of your generator chained to a tree or pickup. Going to sleep with a window a/c running. Fridge keeping the beer and grub cold. Waking up in the morning and the place is hot, fridge off, no a/c. Generator running outside still.
But no juice. And go outside to see the damned thing was swapped out during the night for a pawn shop lawn mower.
My friend Jack was smart. Jacked up the Ford and slid his genset underneath. And slapped an electric fencer on the truck body with a hidden pull string tied to a chain switch to turn it on and off. Rednecks are amazing!